Machine for setting lacing-hooks.



No. 655,987. Patented-Aug. l4, I900. W. OBRIEN.

MACHINE FOR SETTING LACING HOOKS.

(Application fil'ad Sept. 15, 1898.)

(No Model.)

No. 655,987. Patented Aug. I4, I900.

- W. UBRIEN.

MACHINE FOR SETTING LACING HUUKS.

(Application filed. Sept. 15, 1898.)

4 Sheets$heet 2,

(No Model.

WITNEEEEE No. 655,987. Patented Aug. l4, I900.

W.. UBRIEN.

MACHINE FOR SETTING LACING HOOKS.

(Application filed Sept. 15, 1898.)

4 SheetsSheet 3.

(No Model.)

WlTNEEEEE Patented Aug m, I900.

w O'BRIEN MACHINE FOR SETTING LACING HOOKS.

(Application filed am; 1'5, 1398.

4 Sheets-Shoet 4.

(No Model.)

j i d WITNEEEEE NITED STAT-ES PATENT Clarice.

WILLIAM OBRIEN, or TAUNTON,MASSACHUSETTS.

fMACHlNE FOR SETTING LACING-HOOEKSI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,987, dated August 14, 19010.

' Application filed September 15 1898. Serial No. 691,006. (No model.)

To all whom it mcty concern: v

Be it known that I, WILLIAM 'OBRIEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tau n-' ton, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Setting Lacing-Hooks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to machines for setting lacing-hooks; and it has for its object to produce a machine of simple and compact construction and to generally improve the hopper mechanism, the'transferring mechanism which takes a book from the lower end of the raceway and carries it beneath the setting-die, and also to improve the cut-off device which cuts out the lowermost hook in the line of hooks on the raceway and passes it into the transferrer, all of which will appear from the following specification.

To the above end the-present invention consists of the devices and combinations of devices, which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

The present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows in front elevation 21. machine embodying'the same. Fig.2 shows the machine in side elevation, with the cover of the inclosing casing or frame removed to show the operating mechanism. Fig. 3 shows in side elevation a partialse'ction of the machine from the side opposite to that shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows a plan view of the machine. Fig. 5 represents in broken plan view the lacing-hook transferrer. Fig. 6 shows a longitudinal section of the lacing-hook transferrer. Fig.7 shows a vertical section through the hopper and the lifting and discharging mechanism.

Similar letters of reference will be used throughout the accompanying specification and drawings to designate corresponding parts of the machine.

In the drawings, A represents the supporting-frame, which, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, comprises a base-plate a, a vertical side plate a, and endplates a and a the side plate a and end plates a and a forming a substanwardly from the side plate a, and a bearing a carried-by a standard a within the casing A, is mounted the main shaft B, which at its outer end is provided with suitable fast and loose pulleys 'b andb, provided with suitable complementary clutch-faces, whereby .they may be connected and disconnected by a suitable shifting device'fiiot shown) in order-to rotate orstop the shaft B. The inner end of the shaft B is locatedwithin the'ca'singfA, and upon its inner end it carries a pinion al which meshes with and drives a large gear a mounted on the end of a shaft B, which is arranged to rotate in a bearing a on the opposite end of the standard a and a bearing a on the inner face of the side plate a.

' Upon the shaft B is mounted a cam (0 provided upon one side with a cam-groove 0. (see dotted lines, Fig. 3,)and adjacent-'toits other side on the shaft Bis a cam a ,'(see dotted lines, Fig. 2,) and the gear (11 11218 upon one side a cam-groove c0 (see'd'o'tted lines, Fig. 2) and upon its other side a cam-groove a (See Fig. 2.) By means of the camgrooves and cam just described motion is communicated to all 'of tlie'movable parts of the machine.

The machine comprises a lifting and discharging mechanism for the lacing-hooks, which consists of a hopper O, which, as shown in the drawings, is at its upper portion of a generally-rectangular shape, it comprising side plates 0, c,"c and c lhe plate a may be formed integrally with the side plate a of the frame A and projects at its upper end above the top of said side plate a, and the plates c,c and c are preferably formed in an integral casting and secured, by means of screws 0, to the plate 0. The plates 0 and c are preferably inclined at their lower edges, as shown at 0 and the plate a similarly inclined and extended toward the plate 0, thus forming an inclined bottom for the hopper C, causing the lacing-hooks therein to fall by gravity toward the inner surface of the plate 0. The plate 6 is preferably provided with forwardly-extending flanges 0 against which the inner ends of the plates 0 and c are arranged to abut, and the flanges 0 form a guideway,within which is arranged a vertically-reciprocating carrier carrying an oscillating blade and a reciprocating guard-plate, all as will be hereinafter described, there being sufficient space left between the inner end of the inclined bottom of the hopper and the outer side of the side plate a of the frame A to permit the vertically-reciprocating carrier and the oscillating blade to move up and down freely, and in its downward movement the upper edge of the blade is substantially at the base of the hopper.

The carrier of the oscillating blade is provided with an upwardly-extending guardplate upon its inner side next to the side plate cof the hopper, which rises and falls with the oscillating blade, whereby the lacing-hooks or their heads, which rest upon the upper edge of the oscillating blade, will not come in contact with the inner side of the side plate 0 of the hopper as they are moved upward, but will be held between the guard-plate and the oscillating blade, and thus effectually positioned on said oscillating blade, with their heads orbills between the oscillatingblade and the guard-plate, and also prevented from becoming displaced and jammed between the oscillating blade and the hopper-wall, which would be liable to break and disarrange the parts of the lifting and discharging mechanism.

The lifting and discharging mechanism is shown at D (see Fig. 3) and comprises a carrier d, which is formed of a main plate (1 and aretaining-plate (1 the main plate d being cut out, as shown at d and d forming at its upper end a guard-plate 61 which, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3, has an inclined upper edge, which approximates the inclination of the upper edge of the hopper O. Pivotally secured in the recess formed by the cutout portion d between the plate (1 and the retaining-plate (1 by the pin d is the oscillating blade d which is curved at its rear end in order that it may be free to oscillate within the hopper O and which has a straight upper edge arranged to fit between the bill and shank of the lacing-hooks and also a straight lower edge which when the carrier (Z descends and the oscillating blade (I is permitted to fall backwardl y and downwardly rests upon the edge of the cut-out portion d of the plate (1, and when in this position the upper edge of the oscillating blade (Z will be substantially in a horizontal position and parallel to the upper edge of the retaining-plate (P. The forward end of the blade d beyond its fulcrum d projects through an aperture d formed by cutting out one flange c of the side plate 0, as

shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the said flange c being also cut out, as shown at d for the purpose of permitting the head of the lacing-hooks to pass out of the hopper C, and the forward end of the oscillating blade d is provided with a projecting finger d, which projects through the slot d, for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

In order to raise and lower the carrier (1, and thus raise and lower the oscillating blade d and the guard-plate (1 the carrier d has secured upon its inner face a pin (1 which projects through a slot (1 formed in the side plate a of the frame A, and said pin (1 at its inner end is received within a slot (Z of a lever d, which lever is fulcrumed at d inside of the frame A and carries a cam-roll d", which engages the cam-path e in the side of the cam a, the above arrangement being such that upon a rotation of the main shaft B it will by means of the pinion a and gear a rotate the shaft B and the cam a, thus by means of the lever 01 and the pin (1 raising and lowering the carrier din the hopper 0 and imparting thereby to theguard-plate (Z vertical reciprocations along the inner face of the plate 0 of the hopper C and simultaneously therewith raising and lowering the oscillating blade (1 During the first part of the upward movement of the carrier cl the oscillating blade remains with its upper edge in substantiallyahorizontal position; but as the carrier 61 approaches the limit of its upward movement the projecting finger d of the oscillating blade d comes in contact with a pin (Z fixed to a fixed portion of the frame, and as the carrier cl continues to rise the oscillating blade (1 will be caused to rock about its fulcrum (1, raising its rear end and placing the upper edge thereof in an inclined position, forming approximately a continuation of the upper edge of a raceway E, whereby the lacing-hooks will be permitted to slide off of the oscillating blade at onto the upper edge of the raceway E, down which they will be conducted to a point at which they will be removed one hook at a time from the raceway to the transferring device, as will be hereinafter described. The raceway E consists of a thin plate of metal arranged to be straddled by the lacing-hooks or to fit in the space between the bill and shank of the lacing-hooks, and it is secured by means of screws 6 to the side of the frame A and bent, as shown at c, and carried forward and downward and at its lower end is again bent, as shown at c in a substantially-horizontal plane, it being secured at its forward end to the projecting portion A of the frame A, which at the point where the raceway is connected to the projecting portion A is provided with an upwardly-extending receivingplate R, (see Fig. 3,) provided with an opening r, in which the bills and crowns of the hooks are received in position to be engaged by the cut-out, to be hereinafter referred to, and fed into the transferrer, the construction being such that as the lacing-hooks slide ICC down the upper edge of the raceway E they will gradually turn from a position in which the shanks or tubular portions thereof are in a substantially-horizontal position until the said shanks or tubular portions of the lacinghooks are brought uppermost and in a substantially-vertical position.

In order to prevent the displacement of the hooks upon the raceway E or a jamming of the hooks on the raceway, I have provided a guard-plate E, which is bent like the plate E to conform thereto and which is secured to the frame A by means of screws e and with its lower edge slightly removed from the upper edge of the raceway E, leaving sufficient space to receive the necks of the lacinghooks as they are delivered from the oscillating blade d The upsetting-die F may be of any usual and ordinary construction, arranged to enter the tubular shank portion of the lacing-hooks and spread and clench the shank portions of the hooks upon the inner surface of the material, and in the machine of the drawings it is mounted upon a reciprocating plunger which is arranged to have a reciprocation in a bearing f, carried by an arm f projected from the front plate a of the frame A. The plungerfat its upper end is pivotally connected atf to a linkf which in turn is pivotally connected at f to the forward end of the lever j, which projects from a slot f formed in the front plate a of the frame A, and which is fulcrumed at f in bearings f on the inner side of the front plate a and which at its opposite end is arranged in vertical alinement with the cam a. The inner end of the lever f is normally held in engagement with the cam a by means of a spring f which is secured to the inner surface of the plate a of the frame A and which at its forward end rests on the upper surface of the lever f", the above arrangement being such that a rotation of the shaft B will by means of the cam a rock the leverf about its fulcrum f and depress the plunger fin its bearing f" to cause the upsettingtool F to come in contact with the tubular portion of the lacing-hook to spread and clench said lacing-hook in a manner well known to those skilled in the art.

The hook-transferrer G is shown in detail in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings and consists of a plate g, carried by the forward end of a rod g. The transferrer is arranged to slide along a guideway 9 formed in the upper surface of the projection Aof the frame A,and it is reciprocated along the guideway g by means of a lever g which is fulcrumed at g and which at its lower end is provided with aslot g which engages with a screw projected from the side of the plunger g. The lever g is substantially a bell-crank lever, and above its fulcrum is an arm 9 in which is a threaded aperture receiving a set-screw 9 which passes through a slot 9 in one arm 9 of a bell-crank lever hung on the fulcrum g of the lever g the other arm g of the bellcrank lever carryinga cam-roll Q12, which engages the cain-path (0 in the side of the gear a By the above-described arrangement a rotation of the gear a will by means of the cam-path a and the bell-crank lever g and g and lever g impart horizontal reciprocations to the transferrer G.

The transferrer G (see Figs. 5 and 6) is upon its upper side out out, as shown at 9 and at its forward end is provided with an anvilblock 9 secured by means of a screw 9 to the base 9 of the transferrer G. The anvilblock is cut away at its inner end, as shown at 9 and g, for a purpose to be hereinafter described. In order to retain the hooks on the an vil-block 9 there is provided a sliding retaining-block g", which is provided with a dovetailed rib 9 upon its under surface, en-

gaging the dovetailed groove 9 formed in the base 9. The retaining-block g is upon its forward end provided with a shoulder g slightly rounded at its ends, as shown in Fig. 5, and beneath the shoulder g with a forwardly-projecting lug 9, arranged to be re ceived beneath the anvil-block in the'cutout portion g The retaining-block Q17 is normally forced forward,with its forward edge 9 in contact with the edge of the anvil-block, by means of a spring 9 which is received in a recess 9 of the retaining-block g" and in a seat g in the upwardextension of the base g. The above-described mechanism is such that when the transferrer G is in its retracted position the meeting ends of the anvil-block 9 and the retaining-block will be in line with the opening between the raceway E and the guard-plate E, so as to receive a lacinghook at said point, suitable means, which will be hereinafter described, being provided to cut out or cut off the lowermost lacing-hook in the line of lacing-hooks on the raceway E and force it into the transferrer G, between the meeting ends of the anvil-block 9 and the retaining-block 917, the rounded ends of the retaining-block facilitating the entry of the lacing-hook between the anvil-block and the retaining-block. The lacinghook will be held with its bill or crown beneath the inwardprojecting portion of the anvil-block or in the the hook will be clamped between the rear end of the anvil-block g and the forward end of the retaining-block g", with the tubular or rivet portion of the lacing-hook projecting vertically from above the upper surface of the inward extension of the anvil-block. While thus held the transferrer will be moved forward to a position which will bring the tubular shank of the lacing'hook in line with the clenching-tool F, which then descends and spreads and turns over the tubular shank of the lacing-hook upon the inner surface of a boot or shoe in the usual manner.

In order to separate the lowermost lacinghook from the line of lacing-hooks on the raceway E, there is provided a separator (shown at H) which is formed of a thin curved plate having one straight edge It adjacent to the lowermost edge of the raceway E and an inclined or cam-shaped edge h, the edges 71 and h meeting at the lower end, forming a point adapted to enter the space between the lowermost hook and the next adjacent hook in the line of hooks on the raceway. The separator is fixedly secured to one end of a rock-shaft 1L which is arranged in a bearing 7L3, carried by a bracket h", projected from the front plate a of the frame A, and said shaft 7L2 is rocked in order to oscillate the separator H by means of an arm 77/ which is adj ustably connected, by means of a set-screw h, to one end of the rocleshaft 7L2, the arm 7L5 being in turn pivotally connected at 7L7 to a link h which passes through an opening h in the front plate o of the frame A and which at its rear end is pivotally connected at h to a lever h, fulcrumed at h to the stand a and which carries a cam-roll h, which engages the cam-path a in the gear a the engagement being such that a rotation of the gear a will, by means of the cam-path a rock the lever 72 about its fulcrum h and through the link 7L8 and arm it rock the rock-shaft and impart an oscillating movement to the separator H across the lower end of the raceway E or the space formed by the raceway and the guard-plate, and the position of the separator H is so adjusted that the point thereof will enter the space between the lowermost hook and the next adjacent hook in the line of hooks upon the raceway and by means of the inclined edge h force the lowermost hook laterally and between the meeting ends of the anvil-block and the retaining-block of the transferrer G. In this connection it will be noted that the transferrer G is in cross-sectional area substantially rectangular, and the length of this rectangularportion ofthe transferrer is such (see Fig. 2) that when the transferrer is in its forward position it will extend past the lowermost end of the raceway and close said raceway,thus preventing the hooks from traveling out of the raceway, and the side of the transferrer will always act to close the lowermost end of the raceway during the movements of the transferrer until the meeting ends of the anvil-block Q13 and the retaining-block 7" have been brought in alinement with the opening at the lower end of the raceway. It will thus be seen that when the transferrer is in its outward position the raceway will be eifectually closed and the lacing hooks prevented from emerging therefrom, and the opening of the raceway will not be uncovered until the meeting-point between the anvil-block and the retaining-block of the transferrer has been brought into alinement therewith.

I may in practice place a slight retainingspring across the lower end of the raceway, one endof such spring being secured to the upper side of the horizontal portion of the raceway and the other end being free and extending across the space between the raceway and the guard-plate, this spring being a device which is very well known in machines of this character and employed to prevent the lacinghooks from falling out of the raceway, and it has not been illustrated, for the reason that, as before stated, it was common in the art.

In machines comprising a hopper embodying an oscillating blade or a vertical movable lifting and discharging device'it has been found in practice that the lacing-hooks are liable to catch in the opening through which the lacing-hooks slide from the oscillating blade as the oscillating blade descends and clog and step up said opening. In order to prevent this objectionable catching of the hooks in this opening, I have provided a clearing-plate, which is arranged to have a vertical movement against the inner surface of the front end of the hopper over the opening therein, the said plate upon its downward movement being arranged to close the opening and to strike and dislodge any hooks which may have caught therein. In the machine of the drawings the clearing-plate is shown at 1'), (see Figs. 1, 3, and 1,) and along one edge it is slotted, as shown at p, and through the slot p are passed screws 17 which are inserted in threaded apertures in the front plate 0 of the hopper 0. As shown in Fig. 1, the plate p near its upper end has an offset portion 19 which is arranged to extend over the opening 66 when the plate 1) is in its lowermost position.

In order to impart an upward vertical movement to the plate 1) to uncover the opening (W, I have arranged the plate in the machine of the drawings at its upper end with an olfset 19, which extends over the upper edge of the guard-plate (Z in order to be engaged by the guard-plate upon its upward movement, and to thus cause the clearing-plate p to move upward with the guard-plate and to uncover the opening (1 of the hopper. The above arrangement is such that as the guard-plate moves upward its upper edge will come in contact with the offset 19 and during its further movement cause the clearing-plate to move upward, and as the guard-plate (1 moves down ward the clearing-plate 19 will be permitted to fall by gravity and cause the offset portion 19 to move past and uncover the opening al and if any hooks have caught in said opening the lower edge of the olfset 19" will strike said hooks and displace them, causing them to fall into the hopper.

The operation of the machineis as follows: A hopper C is filled with lacing-hooks and the machine set in motion by a belt appliedto the pulley and driven from any suitable source ofpower. The complementary clutch-faces of the pulleys l) and 1) having been brought into engagement with each other, a rotary motion will be imparted to the shaft B, and by means of the pinion (t and gear 0. a rotation will be imparted to the shaft B. The rotation of the shaft B will impart a verti- IlO cal movement to the carrier d, the guardplate 61 and blade (Z and during the upward moyement thereof a number of lacing-hooks will be retained upon the oscillating blade al with their bills or crowns between the blade d and the guard-plate As the carrier cl reaches its upward position the oscillating blade (Z will be rocked about its fulcrum (Z by contact of the lug d with the stud d and its upper edge brought into an inclined position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, substantially in alinement with the upper edge of the raceway 'E, whereupon the lacing-hooks will slide off the oscillating blade 01 and onto the raceway, by means of which they will be conducted to a point to be transferred to the transferrer G. During the up-, ward movement of the carrier d, assuming that the raceway has been previously provided with lacing-hooks, by previous movements of the oscillating bladethe rock-shaft 71 will be rocked by the backward movement of the link h and the separator H will be projected between the lowermosthook andthe next adjacent hook at the lower end of the raceway and by means of the curved side h transfer the lowermost hook laterally and force it between the meeting ends of the anvil-block g and the retaining-block g of the trans ferrer G, with the bill or crownof the hook beneath the inwardly-projecting portion of the anvil-block 9 as hereinbefore described. The transferrer Gwill thereupon be moved forward along the guideway 9 until the tubular shank portion of the lacinghook is brought in alinement with the clenchin g-tool F, at which point the shoe-upper will be placed over the tubular portion of the lacing-hook andthe plunger f will be lowered by means of the lever f and the cam a to cause the clenching-tool F to engage the tubular shank ofthe lacing-hook and upset or rivet the same against the under side of the fabric. After the hook hasbeen riveted and set, as described, the plunger f and settingtool rise and the shoe-upper and hook which have been set are removed by alateral movement, which will remove the neck ,of said hook from between the anvil-block g and the retaining-block g, whereupon the transferrer G will be retracted to again place the opening between the anvil-block and the retaining-block in alinement with the lower end of the raceway, and the carrier cl will be lowered preparatory to again rising in the hopper, and the parts will assume the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings preparatory to another operation of the machine.

It will be noted that in the present invention the oscillating blade has a vertical movement as well as an oscillating movement and that the oscillating movement takes place about a center within the hopper, by means of which a much shorter oscillatory movement may be given to the oscillating blade and a much shorter blade be employed than in those constructions wherein the oscillating blade moves about a center upon the outside of the hopper.

It will be further noted that by means of the guard-plate projecting upwardly above the oscillating blade and adjacent to the side of the hopper the catching of the lacinghooks between the oscillating blade and side of the hopper is effectually prevented, and inasmuch as the guard-plate part'akes of the upward movement of the carrier (1 with the oscillating blade there will be no tendency for the lacing-hooks to become wedged or jammed between the oscillating blade and the hopper.

Hav'ing described the construction and mode of operation of my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. In a machine for setting lacing-hooks, the combination with a hopper having a vertical wall, of an oscillating blade for lifting and discharging hooks therefrom, a guardplate interposed between the blade and the vertical wall of the hopper and carrying the blade, and mechanism forimparting vertical reciprocations to said blade and guard-plate, substantially as described.

2. In a machine forsetting lacing-hooks, the combination with a hopper having a vertical wall, of a carrier having a guard-plate located adjacent to the vertical wall of the hopper, an oscillating blade carried by the carrier adjacent to the guard-plate, and means for moving the carrier, guard-plate and oscillating blade vertically in the hopper, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for setting lacing-hooks, the combination with a clenching=tool and a raceway, of a horizontally-recipr0cating transferrer for taking hooks from the raceway and placing them in line with the clenchingtool, said transferrer comprising an under cut an vil-block and a retaining-block movable toward and from the anvil-block, and means to reciprocate said transferrer, substantially as described.

4. In a machine. for setting lacing-hooks, the combination with a clenching-tool and a raceway, of a horizontally-reciprocating transferrer for taking hooks from the raceway and placing them beneath the clenching-tool, said transferrer comprising an anvil-block and a spring-pressed retaining-block movable toward and from the anvil-block arranged to grip the lacing-hooks, and means to reciprocate said transferrer, substantially as de= scribed;

5. In a machine for setting lacing-hooks, the combination with a raceway, of a curved cut-out arranged to separate the lowermost hook from the line of hooks in the raceway, said cut-out having a pointed end and an in clined edge and means for oscillating the cutout across the raceway, substantially as described;

6. In a machine for setting lacing-hooks, the combination with an inclined raceway IIO ferrer for taking hooks from the raceway and placing them in line with the clenching-tool, means for actuating said transferrer, and an adjustable connection between the transferrer and its actuating means, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

XVILLIAM OBRIEN.

\Vitnesses:

FRANCES A. REED, MYEA L. D. REED. 

